Venetian blind



March 17, 1942. M. c. SLATTERY VENETIAN BLIND Filed June 6. 1941 Patented Mar; 17, 1942 VENETIAN BLIND Michael Clement S lattery, Owen Sound,

Ontario, Canada- Application June 6, 1941, Serial No. 396,904 In Canada June 7, 1940 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Venetian blinds and has for its object increasing the amount of light that may be transmitted through a window without glare, and regulating or preventing draughts.

The object of the invention is attained by the construction hereinafter particularly described and illustrated in the annexed drawing, in which Figure "l is a front elevation partly broken away;

Figure 2 a vertical section on the line 2-2 in Figure l; I

Figure 3 a fragmentary side view of the blind on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 a fragmentary front elevation of the blind drawn on an enlarged scale showing the mounting of the lower section of the slats;

Figure 5 a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, showing the mounting of the slats; and

Figure 6 a cross section on an enlarged scale of the bottom'rail and part of the sill, on the line in Figure 1.

In the drawing corresponding numbers in the different figures refer to corresponding parts.

The blind is formed in two sections, the upper section of which consists of a plurality of longitudinal narrow thin metal slats l arranged horizontally and unifo mly spaced apart. These are suspended by means of four chains 2, which are secured in a manner hereinafter described to the edges of the slats and pass over transversely ribbed V-pulleys secured to a shaft 4 rotatably mounted on brackets 5,. which are suitably secured to the window frame 6. An operating pulley l is secured to the shaft 4 and is provided with a cord 8 which may be pulled to rotate said operating pulley i, the shaft 4, and the pulleys 3, and thus turn the slats I on a horizontal axis in a known manner to close or open the blind.

Hitherto the construction is substantially that of a. standard blind with the exception that chains 2 are substituted for the usual webbing. These chains are much narrower than the webbing and equally strong and thus permit the passage of a considerably greater amount of light without loss of strength. The chain is of the ball and joint type which is very flexible and strong. The slats to which the chains are connected are of thin metal with a bright reflecting surface, obstructing a minimum of light and reflecting a maximum of light. To connect the chains to the slats, clips 9 of resilient metal are secured to the slats (see Fig. 5) The clips have jaws 9 which extend around the edges of the slats and a tubular hinge member 9' at each end adjacent the edges of the slats. Wire holders ll] of substantially U- shape are hingedly mounted on the hinge members and-are provided with eyes Ill which form bearings for the balls of the chains which are held between them. I

For raising the blind as a whole, cords H pass through slots in the slats and are secured at their lower ends to the lower member or rail 2! of the blind and at their upper ends they pass over pulleys (not shown) in a channel shaped block ll mounted on the frame 6 and extend downwardly at one side of the blind where their ends may be grasped and the blind raised or lowered in the usual manner or retained in a partially raised or partially lowered position by means which are common in the art and are not shown in detail.

The upper slat is spaced from the top of the window frame to permit the passage of light between the top of the blind and the top of the window frame. Mounted on the window frame at the top thereof and extending inwardly and downwardly to a point adjacent the upper slat,

is a canopy l3, having enclosed ends it, which intercepts direct rays of light coming through the window and supports a reflector it rotatably mounted therein.

The reflector l6 preferably has two concave reflecting surfaces M and W The reflecting surface M is highly reflecting, and may be of pol ished metal, whereas the surface M is comparatively dull and light diffusing, such as a hard green enamel which will reflect a soft non-glaring light.

The reflector is mounted on. a shaft l5 which is rotatably mounted on the ends l3 of the canopy 13. A pulley i6 is mounted on one end of the shaft and is operated by a cord H to rotate the shaft and turn the reflector to any desired position to reflect the light passing through the space between the upper slat and the top of the frame of the window, downwardly and outwardly against the inner surface of the blind. By suitably adjusting the position of the reflector the light may be directed over substantially the whole of the inner surface of the blind. By turning the slats I, the light may be directed into the room at any desired angle in order to obtain the maximum illumination. If the outside light is not strong, the highly reflecting surface M will be used. If the light is very strong, for instance, if the direct rays of the sun are striking the window, the reflector may be rotated to present the light diffusing surface N to the rays of the sun,

softening and diffusing the reflected rays and eliminating glare.

A plurality of the lower slats are separately adjustable, thus dividing the blind into two sections, the slats of each section being independently turnable, and means is provided for operating the lower section from the bottom of the blind. The slats of the lower section are for convenience numbered I and the suspending chains of the lower section are for convenience numbered 2. The chains 2 of the upper section are connected to the lower slat of the upper section by holders l8 (see Fig. 4) which are substantially U-shaped with outturned ends which extend through hinge members 9 of special clips 9'. The lower slat of the upper section is formed of a central part and two end parts, slightly spaced, and in the space transversely ribbed pulleys l9, are mounted, the shafts 20, of the pulleys being secured to adjacent parts of the slats as particularly shown in Figure 4. The chains 2 of the lower section pass around the pulleys and between the arms of the clips l8.

The bottom of the blind is what may be termed a rail or hollow metal bar 2!. This rail has a raised strip 22 extending longitudinally along the top thereof and the cords II are secured thereto. The strip is to intercept draughts from an open window.

The rail 2| is provided with openings 23, through which the chains 2 extend and pass around pulleys 2,4, mounted within the rail on a longitudinal shaft 25 which is pivoted on brackets 26, secured to the top of the rail.

, The pulleys 24 are rotated by means of a gear wheel 2'! and a worm gear 28 on a shaft 29 which is rotatably mounted on the sides of the rail and extends therethrough, the inner end of the shaft being provided with a handle 3!] for rotating the shaft 29 and thus rotating the pulleys 24 and turning the slats 1 to any desired position to regulate and direct the passage of air or draughts therethrough from an open window.

The rail comprises two telescoped parts 2| and 2|", the part 2| enclosing the part 2| (see Figs. 2 and 6). Springs 3! having hooked ends which extend through holes in the outer and inner parts 2| and 2| of the rail thus tend to hold the parts together, but are sufficiently resilient to permit telescoping of the parts (see Figs. 1

and 6). The part Zl has extending from the lower edge of its side wall outwardly extending flanges 32. The outer one of the flanges 32 is adapted to slide into the groove of a grooved strip 33 whichis secured to the sill of the window frame. Lugs 34 having outwardly directed spring pressed balls 35 mounted therein are secured to the window sill and when the rail is in the groove of the grooved strip 33 it may be pushed down to retract the spring pressed ball bearings 35 and when the bottom of the rail is bearing on the window sill the ball bearings will spring out and engage the inner flange 32 to retain the rail firmly but detachably in con tact with the sill, and prevent any draught passing therebeneath. The length of the lifting cords passing between the sides of the window frame and the ends of the slats.

It will be seen that the construction just described will prevent draughts from passing through the blind and will prevent the blind from swinging or swaying with the wind, and will also enable the air to be directed in a desired manner, such as up into the room. in order to get proper ventilation and circulation of air in the room.

While the invention has been described by way of example in some detail, it will be understood that the invention is .not limited to such details except as may be specified in the annexed claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Ina Venetian blind, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in a window frame in spaced relationship with one an other, with the upper slat spaced from the top of the window frame, a reflector adapted to be mounted on the frame opposite the space between the tor of the frame and the upper slat to direct light passing through said frame downwardly and outwardly against the blind, and means for turning the slats on a horizontal axis.

2. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in a window frame in spaced relationship with-one another, with the upper slat spaced from the top of the window frame, a concave reflector adapted to be mounted on the frame opposite the space between the top of the frame and the upper slat to direct light passing through said frame downwardly and outwardly against the blind, and means for turning the slats on a horizontal axis.

3. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in a window frame in spaced relationship with one another, with the upper slat spaced from the top of the window frame, a reflector adapted to be mounted on the frame opposite the space between the top of the frame and the upper slat to direct light passing through said frame downwardly and outwardly against the blind, means for turning the reflector on a horizontal axis to vary the angle of reflection, and means for turning the slats on a horizontal axis.

4. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in a window frame in spaced relationship with one another, with the upper slat spaced from the top of the window frame, a reflector adapted to be mounted on the frame opposite the space between the top of the frame and the upper slat to direct light passing through said frame downwardly and outwardly against the blind, one side of the reflector having a bright reflecting surface and the other side having a light diffusing surface, means for turning the reflector on a horizontal axis to vary the angle of reflection and to alternately present the bright and light diffusing sides thereof to the said space, and means for turning the slats in a horizontal axis.

5. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in a window frame in spaced relationship with one another, with the upper slat spaced from the top of the window frame, a canopy extending inwardly from the top of the window frame and downwardly substantially to a point opposite the upper slat, a reflector adapted to be mounted beneath the canopy opposite the space between the top of the frame and the upper slat to direct light passing through said frame downwardly and outward- 2,276,425 1y against the blind, and means for turning the slats on a horizontal axis.

6. In a Venetian blind, a window frame, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in the window frame, in spaced relationship to one another, means for turning the slats on a horizontal axisya bottom rail supported by the suspending means but not turnable by the slat turning means, and means for detachably securing the bottom rail tothe sill of the 10 window frame in closely contacting draft precuring the bottom rail to the sill of the window frame in closely contacting draft preventing relationship thereto, and spring means for holding the blind taut.

8. In a Ventian blind, a window frame, a series of slats, means for horizontally suspending said slats in the window frame, in spaced relationship to one another, means for turning the slats in a horizontal axis, a bottom rail supported by the suspending means but not turnable by the slat turning means, and means for detachably securing the bottom rail to the sillof the window frame in closely contacting draft preventing relationship thereto, said rail comprising two telescoped parts having spring meanstending to move the parts together but permitting expansion thereof to hold the blind taut.

MICHAEL CLEMENT SLATTERY. 

